Paper on Exploring Death and Morality: Themes in 'The Story of an Hour' and 'Hunters in the Snow'

A theme is defined as a lesson, universal idea, or message explored throughout a literature's work. One main characteristic of the themes of literature is universality, and this means that they are concepts that are not only used to the specific events and characters of a play or a book but also express bigger truths concerning the human experience that can be applied by the readers to their lives (Chopin). There is no story that can be worthwhile if it lacks a multi-faceted key character, an engaging plot, an interesting setting, a central message or theme, and a skirmish to overcome. The theme is considered a pivotal element since it lingers in the whole story, from the beginning to the end. It can be of any kind the author deems suitable, and a story can have several themes, not necessarily to be one. The aim of this paper is to discuss the theme of death and mortality in "The Story of an Hour" and "Hunters in the Snow."

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

Death and morality are used several times in both stories and they were used with a particular meaning. In both stories, death represents the end of something. In the story of an hour, death brings Mallard's life to an end, which shows a disconnection in the family. The family experienced a loss of something essential, and any other person could not fill the gap he left. In the story of Hunters in the Snow, Kenny shoots the dog owner, affecting the relationship between the dog and the owner.

Besides, death marked a new beginning in both stories (Chopin). After the death, Mr. Mallard, his wife, was happy because the challenges he was undergoing had come to an end, and she was happy to begin a new life with freedom. The dog owner's death was quite a loss to the dog since it had to adapt to a new living style.

Moral values in both stories have to do with what is wrong and what is right. The unacceptable with a scrawny heart, Mrs. Mallard, thinks that her husband lost his life after being crushed by a train. Though she loved her husband, she used to imagine how she would be free without her husband. She was enchanted by the belief that she could spend her life for herself. When her husband was brought home, she died of a heart attack after seeing him. In "Hunters in the Snow," killing was a way of life protection since Tub shot Kenny as a way of defending himself after Kenny started to threaten him.

However, these themes were different in the two stories, such that they were used to mean different things. In the "Story of an Hour," death was used as a problem solution while in the "Hunter in the Snow," it was used as a beginning of the problem (Boffa). Even though they were sad stories to be told to Mrs. Mallard, she was happy that she would live a free life where nobody could control her. This shows that there were some things that her husband was discouraging her from doing, and after hearing about the husband's death, she knew that he would be free to do all of them. In Hunter's story, the dog experiences some challenges, especially in living standards, because the owner used to make sure that the dog could afford anything that he needed.

Furthermore, death was a tool of development in the story of an hour while in the Hunter in the Snow, it was seen as a beginning of challenges in life. After Mrs. Mallard heard about the death of her husband, she expressed joy because she knew she would regain freedom. She saw her husband's death as a development tool that was waited for several years. She envisioned greatness along with the passion for achievement that was in her mind; nevertheless, she lacked a chance to communicate it due to the restriction of Mr. Mallard (Boffa). In The Hunter in the Snow, the dog does not have a clear imagination of the life he expected to live after the death of the master.

In the story of an Hour, morality is used to show respect, while in The Hunter in the Snow, morality is never considered. Mrs. Mallard was obedient to her husband, such that she used to obey everything he said. Sometimes, she could even fear sharing his idea with him since she knew it would be rejected (Boffa). In contrast, if morality was valued in the story, Kenny could not shoot the dog owner. Instead, she could have considered having a cool conversation with him.

Conclusion

In conclusion, themes are essential in every story since it makes the story enjoyable. A story that lacks a theme cannot teach people about the message the writer wants to convey. The story that has a theme encourages the reader to read it several times to understand it fully.

Works Cited

Boffa, David. “Hunters in the Snow.” Khan Academy, Khan Academy, 8 May 2020, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/northern/antwerp-bruges/a/pieter-bruegel-the-elder-hunters-in-the-snow-winter.

Chopin, Kate. "The Story of An Hour". 1884, archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/webtexts/hour/.